My favorite:
We found out that joy matters
Joy is a vital human emotion—but as researchers noted in 2020, “surprisingly little” study has investigated exactly what it means and how to experience more of it. In 2023, that started to change. Researchers from more than a dozen institutions, including Harvard and the University of California, Berkeley, teamed up to determine whether performing micro-acts of joy changes how people feel in the short- and long-term, and whether there are differences based on factors like age, race, and location. Inaugural data from the BIG JOY Project—the world’s largest citizen science project on joy, with nearly 70,000 participants spanning more than 200 countries—were released in November. Among the findings: Daily micro-acts of joy, like making a gratitude list or practicing positive reframing, helped participants experience a 25% increase in emotional well-being, 34% boost in levels of coping perception, and 12% jump in self-reported sleep quality over the course of a week. People can still sign up to participate in the project, and published research further quantifying the benefits of joy is expected in 2024.—Angela Haupt
Summary
Health and Science:
- COVID-19 deaths fell significantly: Thanks to widespread vaccinations and treatments, COVID-19 deaths plummeted compared to previous years.
- Life expectancy rose: With fewer fatalities from the virus, life expectancy in the U.S. started to climb back up.
- Major advances in surgical science: Doctors achieved remarkable feats like transplanting animal organs into humans and performing the world’s first whole-eye transplant.
- CRISPR gene-editing for a disease: Patients with sickle cell anemia received the first-ever CRISPR treatment for a disease in the U.S.
Climate and Environment:
- Electric vehicles reduced fossil fuel demand: EVs made a noticeable dent in global oil use, paving the way for a cleaner future.
- Good climate ideas became action: Innovative clean energy solutions like long-lasting iron-air batteries and carbon-based thermal batteries moved from concept to reality.
- A landmark treaty for the High Seas: A new agreement established a legal framework for protecting previously unregulated ocean areas.
- COP28 acknowledged the problem and solutions: Climate negotiations finally recognized the need to transition away from fossil fuels and ramp up renewables.
- Climate lawsuits started making a difference: A growing number of legal cases pushed governments and corporations toward responsible environmental practices.
Other Improvements:
- Violent crime declined: Across the U.S., violent crime rates dropped significantly.
- More scientific studies became free: Open access initiatives made research data more accessible to the public.
- Joy was scientifically proven to matter: A large-scale project demonstrated the positive impact of daily micro-acts of joy on well-being and sleep.
Overall, 2023 was a year marked by progress in various areas despite ongoing challenges. From advancements in healthcare and climate action to a renewed focus on mental well-being, these positive developments offer hope for the future.
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I would want to add: A lot of scientific studies are made to understand animals better - their well-being, their language, their relation with us. Another series of studies has begun to document human knowledge around plants and their traditional use.
Myself and many humans around me have started to seek contact and communication with our non-human neighbors. Even people who still say “It’s all lost, I don’t care” show clear signs of caring.
It’s great to see a major publication is pushing great news for the world. There’s a lot of noise out there about every single negative thing, but the overall trend is positive, even if we don’t see it.
The VAST majority of people are just out there trying to live their lives and make the world a little better every day, and it’s great to see that their efforts are moving the needle.
I love this post! Uplifting and informative
All good news! Thanks for sharing!
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How in did violent crimes decrease in the US? Didn’t Mr. housespeaker get his head smashed in this year? If nbc news is saying the crime rate dropped, that’s a bad sign. If anyone has a reason we should trust mainstream, please state your case.
If you read the article it says that the data is from FBI
I like how he pulls out “If nbc news is saying…” and the posted link goes right to Time.com, not even taking into account the data source which is listed right under the graph in that section of the article. Arguing with these MAGA people is useless because they’re not even doing any basic research, they’re just knee-jerk reacting to whatever liberal source they think it comes from. They spread fecal matter from their mouths and their fingertips everytime they talk or write and somehow it becomes everybody else’s responsibility to clean up their shit arguments.
I find it hard to believe that during a year of homelessness, armed robberies and drug abuse that this year would have seen less violent crime. The year ended with pro-palestinians calling for a massacre!
Then you should probably revise where you get your information from. Seems reality doesn’t conform to your beliefs.
How long have you been waiting to tell someone that?
Um, what?
I’m just reminding you of basic defence against information warfare, something that’s much too easy to forget.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the framework, ASU has a convenient summary.
It’s a decent way to stay sane® on the internet, and a good way to not aid the enemy in their misinformation campaigns.
Armed robbery rates have been steadily decreasing since the early 1990s.
Just armed robbery?
Please never leave USA.
One crime means all crime go up obviously. Everyone knows everytime you talk about a single crime they add it to crime stats.
